Friday, March 03, 2017

[323] MT Engage holds open house for new office; e-Portfolio workshop set Feb. 23

As MTSU moves forward with its latest Quality Enhancement Plan,
MT Engage, administrative staff for the program now have a new office location
where students can stop by to get questions answered and access support
services.

MT Engage recently held an open house at this new office
space inside the James Union Building, Room 306, where it will be staffed from
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, a professor of history and faculty
fellow director of MT Engage, said the new space is important for moving the
QEP forward. With a motto of “engage academically, learn exponentially,
showcase yourself,” MT Engage encourages students to not only think in a more
integrative way about their academics but to reflect on their experiences
inside and outside of the classroom from the time they set foot on campus.

“It not only provides workspace for our MT Engage staff …
but it also provides a place where faculty and students can come to talk with
us about MT Engage courses, what they’re learning in these courses and what
they need to do with what they’re learning,” Hoffschwelle said.

Staffing the office will be Lexy Denton, assistant director
of MT Engage with responsibilities for MT Engage experiences initiatives,
student outreach and recognitions, and marketing and communications for the
program; and secretary Jayme Brunson.

Denton says students should stop by the office to learn more
about scholarship applications and upcoming workshops, such as an “MT Engage
Basics” e-Portfolio workshop that will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23,
in the James E. Walker Library, Room 364-A. The workshop is being hosted by the
University Writing Center.

A key aspect of MT Engage is an e-Portfolio created by
students throughout their academic careers. These electronic documents could be
critical for students in marketing themselves as they prepare to pursue a
career or graduate degree.

The mission of MT Engage is to create opportunities for
students “to become physically and psychologically involved in productive
learning activities.”

Like others in attendance at the Feb. 15 open house, Dr.
Dianna Rust, QEP Committee chair, was all smiles as she reflected on the campuswide
planning process to get the QEP launched and the progress already being made. Almost
1,900 students were enrolled during fall semester in MT Engage courses.

The QEP is a requirement by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, the regional
accreditation body for higher education institutions in the South.

“This dedicated space will help us as we really begin to
work more one-on-one with students as they develop their e-Portfolios,” Rust
said. “But also for faculty, who are thinking about putting MT Engage into
their classes and connecting our learning outcome of integrative and reflective
thinking, (they) now have a place they can come and meet with the staff and
talk about aligning their courses.”

For more information about MT Engage, visit
mtsu.edu/mtengage. Email mtengage@mtsu.edu
or call 615-904-8281.